Equinties - Barry Hills

Gm Equinauts

Barry Hills, born in Worcestershire in 1937 and began his journey in racing as an apprentice jockey in the 1950s under Fred Rimell. He rode nine winners before serving as head lad for John Oxley from 1959, learning the intricacies of training along the way.

In 1968, a shrewd gamble on FRANKINCENSE funded his move to Lambourn, where he took out his trainer’s licence in 1969 and started at South Bank Stables. That same year he trained his first winner, LA DOLCE VITA, and went on to field 17 winners in his debut season.

Over a career spanning more than 40 years until his retirement in 2011, Hills amassed over 3,200 wins—including landmark triumphs in 10 British and Irish Classics.

Some of his most celebrated victories included RHEINGOLD in the 1973 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, two 1,000 Guineas (ENSTONE SPARK 1978, GHANAATI 2009), two 2,000 Guineas (TAP ON WOOD 1979, HAAFHD 2004), and the St Leger with MOONAX in 1994.

He also forged a racing dynasty: his sons Michael and Richard became Classic-winning jockeys, John trained before his passing, while Charles now heads the family stable and George works in bloodstock insurance.

Endurance was also a hallmark of his training prowess, overseen in horses like FURTHER FLIGHT, winner of five consecutive Jockey Club Cups, and NOMADIC WAY, victor of the 1992 Stayers’ Hurdle

After overcoming throat cancer and vocal cord surgery, he officially retired in 2011, passing the licence to son Charlie.

Hills passed away on 28 June 2025 at the age of 88, mourned by the racing community as one of Britain’s most astute, successful, and respected trainers. 

RIP Barry Hills.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

DOUBLE D’S!

There was a large amount of pushback at the Curragh yesterday, and we’re not just talking about the action on the track, as Aidan O’Brien had something to say about the racing community.

Give it to them, Aidan!

But on track, it was his Epsom Derby hero, LAMBOURN, who served it up to SERIOUS CONTENDER, his stablemate, and won the Irish Derby. In the process, he became the 20th horse to do the English & Irish Derby double.

There’s a lot to unpack here. LAMBOURN is a proper warrior, and that should be applauded. He was flat to the boards with four furlongs to go, while SIR DINADAN (40/1) travelled alongside on the bridle, and the likes of GREEN IMPACT and THRICE were going okay further through the field.

And yet, when SERIOUS CONTENDER came to eyeball the odds-on favourite, Ryan Moore’s mount found more and sprinted away. He finds, and he should use these skills in something like a Leger.

However, we do need to talk about the raw standard of the race? SERIOUS CONTENDER, O’Brien’s apparent third string, who was beaten in a Royal Ascot handicap off 92 10 days ago, has finished second in an Irish Derby, and SIR DINADAN (rated 102) and THRICE (rated 102) have finished within five lengths of the winner.

This says one of two things. Either MERCHANT, the horse who beat SERIOUS CONTENDER at Ascot, is a Group 1 winner in waiting, or the current crop of three-year-old Group 1 stayers isn’t that good.

It’s more likely that we could have a combination of the two, of course. MERCHANT probably is Group class horse, though whether he’s a Group 1 horse is less likely, and there is a feeling that the current ‘Derby’ scene isn’t all that.

At least we will hopefully get to see them against their elders in races like the Coral-Eclipse (DELACROIX’s target), King George, and Juddmonte International, and that will truly show if they are or aren’t up to scratch.

Where next for the Irish Derby horse? Well, the King George and Arc were mentioned by O’Brien for LAMBOURN, while LAZY GRIFF is off to the Leger.

We’re sure more solidified plans will be made over the next week.

ARC FILLIES?

Could we have two fillies vying for Arc de Triomphe glory later this season? Furthermore, did those two fillies just take each other on in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes on the weekend?

Well, the ante-post market for the Arc certainly has found WHIRL and KALPANA, and they clashed at the Curragh on Saturday, with WHIRL getting the better of Juddmonte’s STUDY OF MAN filly.

This was a great race to watch on Saturday. After the Oaks, it was debated whether WHIRL could have beaten MINNIE HAUK, and while we’ll never truly know, one thing is for certain. She is a proper horse.
KALPANA loomed up on Saturday in the Pretty Polly, and it looked for all the world like she’d get by. But, WHIRL found more on the day, and she was a very worthy winner.

As for KALPANA, well, even though she didn’t win, you can’t take much away from her. She gave a whopping 12lbs away, and the race was over 1m2f when she might prefer 1m4f. She did win the Fillies And Mares Stakes on Champions Day over 1m3½f, after all.

So, thye both showed thei class by, so they can be trusted going forward through this season. Could they meet again in the Arc? It would seem a logical place for both to target at the end of the season, even more so for KALPANA as the race was mentioned immediately after her Champions Day success.

As for WHIRL’s more immediate targets, Goodwood or back to the Curragh could be for her.
Aidan O’Brien said: "She could come back here for the Oaks or go to the Nassau at Glorious Goodwood.
"She's an unusual filly. She could do anything. She wasn't even blowing in the parade ring after, so she's obviously a high-class filly."
Both of them against the boys in Longchamp later this season would be epic.

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

ALYANAABI – SATURDAY 14.10 NEWCASTLE

This is a slightly interesting eye-catcher, as for five furlongs, ALYANAABI looked way out at sea in the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes, however, he thundered home when Jim Crowley wasn’t trying that hard, so there could still be a nice engine under the bonnet.
Connections tried six furlongs on Saturday, and it probably didn’t go amazingly well. He looked outpaced, and he eventually stayed on over the stiff six furlongs.
Back to seven, or even a mile, should work for him later this season. He’s worth following, as he could pop up at a very nice price!

CREST OF FIRE – SATURDAY 15.40 YORK

What kind of animal did CREST OF FIRE run into at York on Saturday? He had race fitness, he came from a super-hot Newbury maiden, and he travelled into the race in a great position.

However, HANKELOW quickened away nicely for Karl Burke to be well on top at the finish on just his first ever run. By NIGHT OF THUNDER, HANKELOW is a half-brother to EPIC POET, so he is nicely bred, in fairness. CREST OF FIRE is a proper horse, and he will win races going forward, but there was just a better one ahead of him on Saturday. Two nice horses.

STATS OF THE DAY

In the 14.00 UNPLUGGED returns 7lbs lower than when he won won this race in ‘23 (second last year). He was a big gamble at Newbury last time but didn’t show up. Redemption for his backers today? Yard are 2 from 3 here in these types of races.

RISK ON

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